Results from Portugal’s government-backed 4-day week trial released

The final report of a government-funded 4-day week pilot program in Portugal has now been published. The study includes 41 Portuguese companies that shortened the working week, 21 of which coordinated the start of a six-month trial in June 2023. The trial was co-coordinated by Dr Rita Fontinha, Director of Flexible Work at the World of Work Institute at Henley, in partnership with the international non-profit organization, 4 Day Week Global, and Birkbeck, University of London.

Over the course of the trial, more than 1,000 workers in these companies reduced their work time by 13.7%.

When assessing the response of companies in the trial, researchers found that:

• 56% of the initial contacts were made by female leaders.
• Consulting, Science, and Technology were the most represented sectors in the study.
• In 51% of companies, workers had one day off per week, while 49% of companies opted for a nine-day fortnight.
• Companies saw operational and employee performance improvements.
• 80% of managers rated the test as financially neutral, with only one organisation hiring more workers to complete the trial.
• Only four of the 41 companies returned to a 5-day week at the end of the test.
• The probability of reverting to a 5-day week was 8% among the ones who introduced two or more changes in the organisation, and 38% among those who made one or no changes.

When assessing the response of employees in the trial, researchers found that:

• Before the pilot project, employees worked 41.6 hours (including overtime) compared to 36.5 hours during the pilot (a reduction of 12%).
• Employees experienced an improvement in mental and physical health and significant reduction in exhaustion and negative mental health symptoms, compared to a control group.
• Better balance between work, family, and personal life was reported. The percentage of workers who struggled with balancing work and personal life fell from 50% to a remarkable 16%.
• Increased satisfaction with work and life in general, compared to a control group
• Workers value this benefit at 28% of their salary. The value attributed to the 4-day week is higher among women, workers with children, those with salaries below €1100, and those with lower qualifications.
• 93% of workers would like to continue having this work time reduction.

Research coordinator Dr. Rita Fontinha, Associate Professor of Strategic Human Resources at Henley Business School said:

"Like in other international trials, a work time reduction in the format of a 4-day week has a tremendous effect on workers well-being and work-life balance. As such, they value this benefit as if it represented 28% of their wage on average.

As expected, women attribute a higher value to the 4-day week. Perhaps the most surprising finding is that the 4-day week is more valued by low earners and workers without a higher degree, who have less flexibility in managing their working hours and fewer resources to buy services to free their time."